Since this new record by Wolverhampton's Stephen James Wilkinson (a/k/a Bibio) has done nothing but delight me, I'm going to honor the sentiments posted to his MySpace blog and spare him the f-word and all variants thereof — so no folk, freak folk, anti-/post-/neo-folk and God have mercy on us all no folktronica for fuck's sake. (Not that I would have used any of those anyway — promise.)

The main thing you'll be hearing about Ambivalence Avenue is that it's a street with no zoning. The man is all over the place — and it's rare that such a thing is to someone's credit. Further, Bibio's debut for Warp (he's a Mush alum) sounds like the last 10 years of Warp albumized: he noses ahead of Grizzly Bear's latest in terms of likability ("All the Flowers") as often as he lags slightly behind Prefuse 73 in terms of pure choppage chops ("Fire Ant").

His melodies send little smooches to Aphex Twin ("S'vive"); he's as cautiously classy as Plaid ("Dwrcan") but as recklessly clever as Squarepusher ("Sugarette"). If all this band threading seems to diminish his efforts, don't let it — just picture me grasping for bearings in this often task-derailingly pretty set of songs. Bibio's references may already be T-shirts in your bureau, and his dovetailing of crisp guitars, tangling melodies, smart electronic gestures, and resin-hit production values (all evident on the title track) isn't new by any means.

But if you can get out from under caring (that is, if you can locate the title lane), you'll feel as liberated as Bibio sounds here — an artist making a mixtape of himself. Folk yes.

Voice of regeneration Havens, who comes to the MFA this Sunday, has been following his muse since he was a child.

Review: Humcrush | Rest at World's End Replete with bands who weave jazz, modern composition, and electronic music, the Rune Grammofon label captures a thriving scene of Norwegian improvisers and composers.

The electric company We all know how in 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, the previously all-acoustic Bob Dylan took the stage with an electric guitar, plugged in, enraged fans, and destroyed the folk-music scene forever.

Phosphorescent | To Willie No stranger to ragged, defeatist country/folk, Matthew Houck and friends sound right at home on To Willie.

Alt- together now At some point during the recording of their new album, someone in the Broken Singles realized that Sarah Borges had been botching the chords to their cover of the Lemonheads' "Ride with Me."

Up in the County Is it bluegrass if it doesn't have a banjo? Or a fiddle, for that matter? Hamilton County, a three-piece acoustic outfit who debut their first CD, Brokedown Breakdown , next week, sure do a good impersonation of a bluegrass band, even if purists might dismiss it on technicalities.

Adrian Soiza and Dani Umpi | Dramatica Uruguay, a small nation often shadowed by neighbors Argentina and Brazil, is home to a thriving music scene that has produced some of the best performers and composers of the "southern cone" of South America.

BOSTON PRIDE WEEK: OFF THE MAP | June 07, 2010 We may seem a little cranky, but us local gayfolk just love a parade, and we’re actually heartened by this annual influx of brothers and sisters from every state of New England and every letter of our ever-expanding acronym.

THE NEW GAY BARS | June 02, 2010 If I may channel the late, great Estelle Getty for a moment: picture it, Provincetown, 2009, a dashing young man with no discernible tan and an iffy T-Mobile signal languishes bored upon the sprawling patio of the Boatslip Resort.

ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI | BEFORE TODAY | June 01, 2010 If the gradual polishing of Ariel Pink’s sound — and it’s not all that much more polished — puts his loyalists at odds with his albums, I count that as good news.

MORE THAN HUMAN | May 26, 2010 It’s hard to talk about Janelle Monáe when your jaw’s fallen off.